Geo-Engineering or Plan 'B'

Geo-engineering is pure science fiction. From sowing sulphate particles in the atmosphere to make the world more reflective, putting mirrors in space to reflect the sun’s heat, to precipitating CO2 from the oceans to prevent them becoming seas of carbonic acid. The ‘experts’ on global warming (the government’s scientific think tank mindset) are still part of the problem looking for the quick fix solution. The lunacy of these quick fix solutions has recently been reflected (excuse the pun) in the government’s fuel dilemma.

Bio-fuels are the best thing since sliced bread, the salvation of the shortage of oil and at the same time the solution to decreasing the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

However, it is slowly being realized, by rational scientists and ecologists not on the government’s paid staff adhering to KPI’s and wish lists, as dictated by ministers, to “make it so, juggle the statistics,” that is just is not going to happen. Creating bio fuels leads to more greenhouse gases, less food supply (using crop growth space), less carbon sink (cutting down forests which absorb carbon dioxide to grow bio fuels) and less oxygen emitted (fewer trees).

Political inaction on global warming has become so dire that nations are now considering extreme technical solutions, scientists from around the world warn today.

The ‘experts’ say a reluctance “at virtually all levels” to address soaring greenhouse gas emissions means carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are on track to pass 650 parts-per-million (ppm). They call for more research on geo-engineering options to cool the Earth.

Geo-engineering, to me, is comparable to a mad scientist and a crazed politician’s option of getting close to last resort. This ‘last resort’ would involve some sort of large scale geo-engineering of our environment in order to combat or reverse the effects of global warming. Well, that is the scientific madcap theory.

The plain truth is every country in the world has utterly failed to reduce CO2 emissions and will continue to do so. There ARE no quick fix solutions. There IS no quick fix to bail us out, as we continue putting nine billion tons+ of CO2 into the atmosphere each year to sustain our way of life. As I have said before, if we do not change the way we live right now - I mean RIGHT NOW! - Then nature will, and that will be the start of our worst nightmare!

Written in an introduction to a special collection of scientific papers on the subject, published by the Royal Society, a professor of the University of Manchester and another from the University of Cambridge said: “While such geo-scale interventions may be risky, the time may well come when they are accepted as less risky than doing nothing. We need to be looking at other options, namely geo-engineering, to give us time to let the world come to its senses.”

Another scientist from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research said: “I’m not a huge fan of messing with the atmosphere in a geo-engineering sense because there could be unpredictable consequences. But there are also a lot of unpredictable consequences of temperature increase. It does appear that we’re failing to act [on emissions]. And if we are failing to act, then we have to consider some of the other options.”

What about plan ‘C’.When the proverbial hits the fan? Will it be enforced birth control, an initiated pandemic, a limited nuclear ‘accident?’ Put the stockades up, i’m alright guv?

Don’t laugh! While you are sitting comfortably reading these ‘loony tune’ pages of apocalyptic meanderings, such plans are being considered. One day, desperate times will call for desperate measures. Even mad professors and their solutions will be considered. I promise you!